WELCOME to the Fiqh Council Birmingham (FCB). The FCB was establsihed to help meet the religious needs of the Muslim community. It offers faith based services in Islamic marital arbitration (Talaq/Khula etc.), training Islamic scholars and Imams, fatwa service and more...read more >

CATEGORIES

Brillo Steel Wool Pads seem to contain beef tallow, so are they halal to use?

QUESTION

Brillo Steel Wool Pads seem to contain beef tallow, so are they halal to use?

ANSWER

الجواب حامداً و مصلياً

Upon referring to the product website, it is stated that the soap used in the said product is derived from natural beef tallow:http://www.brillo.com/faqs.asp

With regards to the ruling of using such a soap, there is a juristic difference of opinion on the issue. According to some scholars such as Imam Abu Yusuf, this type of soap is not permissible to use, due to being derived from an impermissible source.

However, according to the view of other jurists such as Imam Abu Hanifah, there is scope for using
this type of soap, as the natural beef tallow has chemically transformed into soap, which is regarded
as a new and different substance. This is similar to the ruling of vinegar which has been derived from wine and yet it is still regarded as halal, due the occurrence of a chemical transformation, generally termed as Istihala in the language of the Shariah.

In conclusion, one may act upon the view of those scholars which allows the usage of such soap, due to the substance and chemical transformation of the natural beef tallow into soap, especially where it is difficult to find a suitable alternative. However, where feasible, it is preferable that one should try to avoid its usage out of precaution.